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Group photo of teachers awarded with "Aggies Celebrate Teaching!"
Front row from left: Samantha Mosqueda, Vicki Mokuria, Clayton Mulvihill, Carolyn Cotton, Dr. Tracy Hammond, Vijay Rajanna. Back row from left: Dr. Victor Arizpe, Jonathan Barnes, Dr. Tmothy Jacobs, Carlos Cotton, Sarah Brown, Sherman Finch, Dr. Yucel Akkutlu, Mohamed Eid. | Image: Texas A&M Engineering

During the second annual "Aggies Celebrate Teaching! – Recognizing Transformational Learning" reception, three faculty members from the Texas A&M University College of Engineering were honored by the Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M. This year’s award reception was part of the inaugural Texas A&M University Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference.

Dr. Yucel Akkutlu, associate professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering, was nominated by Mohamed Eid, a senior in the department. Dr. Tracy Hammond, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was nominated by Vijay Rajanna, a graduate student in the department; and Dr. Timothy Jacobs, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of Interdisciplinary Engineering for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, was nominated by Clayton Mulvihill, a graduate student in engineering.

Students across all disciplines wrote essays giving evidence of and reflecting upon the instructor’s impact on their learning and lives. This annual teaching award celebration provides a unique view of teaching excellence. Students share their personal experiences of the relationship between teacher and learner, growth and change, difficulties and triumph – experiences that shifted their thinking and perspectives in a personal way. The College of Engineering instructors were among six honored by students as inspirational and transformational mentors.

Each faculty-student pair shared unique stories related to their personal experiences, making it clear that there are many ways to teach, as well as many individuals at Texas A&M that promote transformational learning and foster student growth and development.